What Pets In Ancient Egypt Looked Like

While the last remnants of their wild population were wiped out in the mid-20th century, the Barbary lion (pictured above) could be found throughout North Africa. These big cats — as well as cheetahs imported from farther south — were commonly kept as pets by the wealthier members of Egyptian society (via The Vintage News). Though archaeological finds have been rare, these animals were also buried with their owners to accompany them into the afterlife (via CNN). 

Despite being recognized today as the most dangerous animals in Africa, hippos were purportedly used as pets on rare occasions, though they were more often killed for food, ivory, and to remove them as a public hazard (no mummified hippos are known to exist, per BBC). While not often kept as pets, the Nile crocodile is another animal that was extensively mummified in Ancient Egypt (via Smithsonian). Although they were recognized for the exceptional danger they posed to farmers, they were still venerated as powerful offerings to gods. For this reason, they were often hunted in the wild as well as captive-bred.

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